Minto Cup trip for Chilliwack Mustangs lacrosse grad

Chilliwack Mustangs grad Tyson Kirkness will be gunning for a national junior lacrosse title later this week as he plays in the 2018 Minto Cup.

Kirkness plays for the Coquitlam Adanacs, who play their first game Thursday against the Calgary Mountaineers. Calgary is hosting the tournament, which runs Aug. 16-26.

The Alberta champion Okotoks Raiders and Ontario champion Brampton Excelsiors round out the four team field.

The format of the tourney will see the teams compete in a round robin, with the top squad getting a bye into the championship round.

The second and third place finishers will play in a semi-final, with the winner moving on to face the first place finisher in a best-of-five final.

The Adanacs have won the Minto Cup twice, in 1991 and 2016.

The team plays its regular season games in the eight-team B.C. Junior A Lacrosse League.

Kirkness started the 2018 season with the Langley Thunder and was wearing the captain’s C when he was dealt to Coquitlam at the BCJALL trade deadline. The hard-nosed defender logged 17 regular season games between the two teams, generating three goals, eight points and 47 penalty minutes.

He collected one assist and 32 penalty minute in nine playoff games as his Adanacs swept the Victoria Shamrocks and took down the New Westminster Salmonbellies in the best-of-seven championship series.